Mid-Coast Maine, the Home of Waldo County

Nancy-Linn Nellis, property 121366

Now that you’re in beautiful Maine, you might want to travel to Waldo County, where you will discover the treasures of coast and countryside, less than 2 hours north of Freeport, on I-295 and east on Rt. 3 to Belfast.

Here you will find quintessential Maine, the rockbound coast and some of the finest antiquing in the state.

Waldo County is a quiet destination. The locals are serious about eco-tourism here.

Some of the county’s most unique features include:

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory. Opened this year, the bridge is an engineering marvel - a cradle/cable stayed bridge, with two towers 420 feet high. One tower is an observatory that will hold about 49 people (you’ll take an elevator). On a clear day, you can see forever - or at least to Acadia National Park. There is only one other observatory tower like this in the world (in Thailand).

Access to the Observatory will be through historic Fort Knox, a cliff side bastion of granite that never saw the firing of a single shot.

Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport. This museum has a beautiful leafy campus with twelve historic outbuildings, most of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

BlueJacket Shipcrafters -the oldest and largest model ship builders in the world - making museum quality model ships.

Searsport Rug Hooking Studio --the finest in New England.

Belfast, a picturesque area on the water filled with unique, friendly and quaint shops, wonderful restaurants, a fabulous movie theatre on the National Register.

Sears Island. The largest, uninhabited island on the East coast with free and easy access. Sears Island is comprised of 940 acres with more than five miles of shoreline. Over 168 species of birds and much other wildlife make their home here.